Chapter 363: Evolve, Murkrow!
Alec noticed it and grew desperate, knowing that if Cain was defeated, there would be no way to escape today. More importantly, his vengeance might never come to fruition.
Miyamoto, battling in the distance, was also worried. Although he had managed to hold off Daishi, his team consisted of Pokémon recently captured on the Trial Island, while his opponent used Pokémon he had trained for a long time.
He found himself in a similar predicament to Alec. His Pokémon obeyed his commands, but their execution lacked precision, and his command of the battle wasn't sufficient.
Miyamoto's defeat was inevitable.
However, the key to victory remained the clash between Cain and Vexor. Regardless of what happened to the others, the main battle would determine the final outcome.
The situation was at a deadlock.
Murkrow and Slowpoke barely managed to fend off the ferocious attacks of the enhanced Beedrill. Although both Pokémon had a type advantage, their opponent's speed was so great that they could hardly land a hit.
Sneasel remained locked in a fierce battle with Scyther, both speed specialists, and it seemed there would be no clear outcome anytime soon.
Haunter and Butterfree also continued their struggle, with Haunter's Fire Punch clashing against Butterfree's Confusion.
Both attacks were super effective against the other, but since they weren't their primary type moves, neither could gain a decisive upper hand, making it unlikely for a victor to emerge soon.
However, now that Haunter had the Sniper ability, landing a critical hit could potentially take Butterfree out in one blow. Sniper was an extremely powerful ability.
But Butterfree fought evasively, refusing to engage Haunter directly. It preferred dodging over trading blows, making it difficult for Haunter to find an opening in Butterfree's defenses.
The decisive point lay in the fight between Ursaring, Arbok, and Pinsir.
Ursaring, having used Belly Drum, finally managed to hold off Pinsir's attacks, but with its energy halved, it wouldn't last long.
Although Arbok was in better shape than Ursaring, its survival habits in the wild were deeply ingrained, and Cain's recent training hadn't been enough to change them.
Cain decided not to interfere too much in Arbok's fight. Rather than forcing it to adopt an unfamiliar combat style, it was better to let it stick to its original one, at least for now.
However, the flaw was evident, and under Vexor's orders, Pinsir was gradually gaining the upper hand.
"Hmph! Using newly captured Pokémon against me... I must admit, the others are decent, but these two are only good for feeding my Pinsir," Vexor laughed arrogantly, confident of his victory.
Pinsir had the Moxie ability. Once it defeated a Pokémon, its confidence would grow, causing its attack power to skyrocket. Even Arbok wouldn't be able to stop it in that state.
The battle was reaching its climax.
Suddenly, Cain smiled.
"Although things turned out a bit differently than I expected, this is the perfect moment."
"Murkrow, evolve now!"
Cain shouted loudly.
He retrieved a small black stone from his storage space and raised it above his head. Under the sunlight, the stone emitted a strange glow.
Vexor also noticed Cain's actions, surprised to see him preparing Murkrow's evolution with a Dusk Stone.
But how much power could a newly evolved Pokémon have?
Moreover, how could Murkrow's evolution help Cain turn the tide of battle?
Pinsir was about to finish off Ursaring before Murkrow could evolve, and once Moxie activated, it would be unstoppable.
Murkrow, feeling the strong pull of the Dusk Stone Cain held, had been waiting for this moment for a long time. Cain had always told it to wait.
To wait until they found a Dusk Stone of sufficient quality.
And then he told it to wait a little longer, until Murkrow reached its maximum potential.
Finally, that moment had arrived.
Murkrow deftly avoided Beedrill's attacks and flew toward Cain.
"This can't be! That's a Dusk Stone of supreme quality? It must at least be Superior-grade! What a waste! Damn you! Beedrill, stop it!" Vexor shouted, finally realizing that the Dusk Stone Cain held emitted an unusual radiance, even with rainbow-like hues.
Ordinary Dusk Stones were completely black, absorbing even the light around them.
But this Dusk Stone emitted light.
What did that mean?
It meant the stone was so saturated with energy that it could no longer contain it, causing it to emit that peculiar glow.
Beedrill, following Vexor's orders, stopped attacking Slowpoke and swiftly flew after Murkrow.
"Slowpoke, use Psyshock and Confusion. Stop Beedrill! It's an easy target now—attack with everything you've got," Cain ordered firmly.
As Beedrill tried to intercept Murkrow, it flew in a straight line to catch up, making it a perfect target for Slowpoke.
Slowpoke's psychic attacks struck Beedrill continuously.
Not only did it fail to reach Murkrow, but it also suffered severe injuries.
Seeing this, Vexor's face darkened. "Beedrill, dodge Slowpoke's attacks and finish it off first! Use Aerial Ace! Even if Murkrow evolves, it won't be a game-changer. We just need to eliminate the others before it completes its evolution!"
Beedrill abruptly turned, cloaking itself in Flying-type energy as it charged swiftly at Slowpoke.
By then, Murkrow had reached Cain.
Cain threw the Dusk Stone toward Murkrow and said, "Evolve, Murkrow! This is your stage! Slowpoke, use Teleport to evade. Let it tire itself out a bit more!"
With Beedrill distracted, no other Pokémon could interfere with Murkrow's evolution.
In mid-air, Murkrow caught the Dusk Stone with its beak.
As if it had done this all its life, Murkrow began channeling the supreme-quality stone's energy.
In an instant, the Dusk Stone cracked, releasing a black mist that enveloped Murkrow. Rather than dissipating into the air, the mist was directly absorbed into Murkrow's body.
Although it seemed like a long process, everything happened in a single second. Murkrow transformed into a dark cocoon, floating in the air.
(End of Chapter)